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A member of the hound family of dogs, the Basset bleu de Gascogne has its roots in the southwest region of the country of France, Gascony in particular. These dogs are also referred to as the Basset Gascony Blue. This short-legged, long-bodied hound dog is thought to be a cross of other older Basset type dogs that were around in the 1800s. The original purpose of their breeding was to hunt wild rabbits, which they are still used for today.

The Basset bleu de Gascogne is between 30 to 38 cm. in height, when measured from the ground to the withers, according to breed standards. Males are larger than females in both height and weight. The Basset bleu de Gascogne is a small breed of dog that sports the typical hound dog head shape and face. They have the long, floppy ears, tired looking eyes, and jowls that can rouse scents to assist in the hunt. The body should be well-muscled and solid, covered with a short, dense coat of hair. The coat of the Basset bleu de Gascogne is completely speckled and spotted in black and white. There is a slate blue tone to the coat, which contributes to the name. In most of these dogs, there will be two black spots on the face, one on each side. They also have the brown spots above the eyes, like other breeds such as the Rottweiller or Doberman Pinscher. Tan markings will also be on the Basset bleu de Gascogne on various parts of the body, especially underneath the tail and on the legs.

The Basset bleu de Gascogne were considered quite rare dogs from the time that they were first bred until about twenty years ago. They were once almost non-existent. During the past couple of decades, though, they have increasingly become more popular. They are now able to be registered with the Fdration Cynologique International (FCI), but are not yet eligible for registry with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Although having a registered dog may not mean that much to the average pet owner who is only looking for a loving companion, it does increase the monetary value of the dog for those who want to breed the animal or compete with him or her.

As all hound dogs do, the Basset bleu de Gascogne has an amazing sense of smell and a howl that is both loud and enduring. This is how the dog communicates with both humans and with other dogs. They are social animals that are happy to hunt together in packs, but they are also skilled as bloodhounds where they typically work on their own, with their owners. Due to their size and the short length of their legs, they are slower than some other breeds of hound, but they are steady and tenacious when on the job. They track small game quite successfully.

These are very gentle and loving animals who will develop very strong attachments to their owner or the families that they are a part of. The Basset bleu de Gascogne is not an animal that should be inhibited by city boundaries. They need room for exercise and fun, so they are really country dogs. Their tendency to bay and howl is also something that makes this breed more suited to country life. They must begin training early on and require a calm and consistent master to assist them in becoming all that they can be.

Learn more about this author, Victoria Tiegert.
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